Aiming to compete in the manual modular binding
punch market, especially in the ease of use, rugged construction, and
low price categories, the FlexiPunch M provides a nice choice for
organizations who want some variety on their binding options without
breaking the bank. We recently peeked under the hood of this machine, and put
together a list of what we saw as some of its strengths and weaknesses.
Aiming to compete in the manual modular binding
punch market, especially in the ease of use, rugged construction, and
low price categories, the FlexiPunch M provides a nice choice for
organizations who want some variety on their binding options without
breaking the bank. We peeked under the hood of this machine, and put
together a list of what we saw as some of its strengths and weaknesses.
Strengths:
The chief strength of the
FlexiPunch M is that it gives you so many options for punching and
binding at such a low price point. With this one machine, you can punch
holes for comb binding, twin loop binding in both 2:1 and 3:1 pitches
(square holes), and 4:1 round hole wire coil binding. There are a lot
of machines out there that give you similar options, but to have this
many options at such a low price is somewhat of a rarity.
The
sheet punching capacity of the FlexiPunch M is really pretty impressive
at up to 25 sheets of 20lb paper per lift. For a manual machine, it
seemed to us that the lever was pretty powerful and easy to use as
well.
The FlexiPunch M features an open throat design as
well as fully disengageable punching pins, which means that using this
machine you will be able to punch just about any size document, using a
two punch process for documents that are longer than 12 inches.
As
we have said, there are a lot of modular binding punches on the market
with similar capabilities to the FlexiPunch M. One great way in which
the FlexiPunch M has distinguished itself is in the ease of use
category. Changing dies on this machine could not be a simpler process,
and in most cases takes just a matter of seconds, even for the most
technically challenged among us. No tools are required to make the
switch, and the dies (one of which is included in your purchase, the
others of which must be ordered separately) sit together nicely on a
shelf, so you can just grab the one you want, and off you go.
As with all of Akiles' machines, the FlexiPunch M is a rugged, all
metal beast that appears to be ready to give you years of faithful
service.
Weaknesses:
Though
the FlexiPunch M is a really nice manual punch, it is just a manual
punch after all. What this means is that for really high-volume
production environments, it may be a little slow and tedious to use. If
you are going to need to produce hundreds of documents a week or so,
you will likely want to consider purchasing an electric punch such as
the Akiles FlexiPunch E in order to save you a lot of time and effort
(of not necessarily money).
The FlexiPunch M
does not come with any sort of finishing equipment (such as a coil
inserter, comb opener, or wire closer). That should not be any sort of
deal breaker, but you will need to be aware that when you purchase this
machine, you will have to make sure that you also find and purchase the
correct finishing equipment for the kinds of jobs you intend to do.
If you are interested in more information about the Akiles Flexipunch-M Binding Machine, you might want to visit MyBinding.com.
They offer a great price on this machine and they even offer Free
Shipping. MyBinding carries large selection of binding machines, as
well as a full line of plastic comb and binding supplies, in a huge variety of sizes and colors. Check it out today.
